n. 1. One crowned with laurel; a poet laureate. “A learned laureate.” Cleveland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A person who has been presented with an award for some distinguished achievement; as, a Nobel laureate; the Pris de Rome laureate; the Music Director Laureate; the conductor laureate. [ PJC ]

a. [ L. laureatus, fr. laurea laurel tree, fr. laureus of laurel, fr. laurus laurel: cf. F. lauréat. Cf. Laurel. ] Crowned, or decked, with laurel. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

To strew the laureate hearse where Lycid lies. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Soft on her lap her laureate son reclines. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Poet laureate. (b) One who received an honorable degree in grammar, including poetry and rhetoric, at the English universities; -- so called as being presented with a wreath of laurel. [ Obs. ] (b) Formerly, an officer of the king's household, whose business was to compose an ode annually for the king's birthday, and other suitable occasions; now, a poet officially distinguished by such honorary title, the office being a sinecure. It is said this title was first given in the time of Edward IV. [ Eng. ] (c) A poet who has been publicly recognized as the most pre-eminent poet of a country or region; as, the poet laureate of the United States. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Laureated p. pr. & vb. n. Laureating ] To honor with a wreath of laurel, as formerly was done in bestowing a degree at the English universities. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State, or office, of a laureate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. lauréation. ] The act of crowning with laurel; the act of conferring an academic degree, or honorary title. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. lorel, laurer, lorer, OF. lorier, laurier, F. laurier, (assumed) LL. Laurarius, fr. L. laurus. ] 1. (Bot.) An evergreen shrub, of the genus Laurus (Laurus nobilis), having aromatic leaves of a lanceolate shape, with clusters of small, yellowish white flowers in their axils; -- called also sweet bay. The fruit is a purple berry. It is found about the Mediterranean, and was early used by the ancient Greeks to crown the victor in the games of Apollo. At a later period, academic honors were indicated by a crown of laurel, with the fruit. The leaves and tree yield an aromatic oil, used to flavor the bay water of commerce. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The name is extended to other plants which in some respect resemble the true laurel. See Phrases, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A crown of laurel; hence, honor; distinction; fame; -- especially in the plural; as, to win laurels. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An English gold coin made in 1619, and so called because the king's head on it was crowned with laurel. [ 1913 Webster ]

Laurel water, water distilled from the fresh leaves of the cherry laurel, and containing prussic acid and other products carried over in the process. [ 1913 Webster ]

American laurel, or
Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia; called also calico bush. See under Mountain. --
California laurel, Umbellularia Californica. --
Cherry laurel (in England called laurel). See under Cherry. --
Great laurel, the rosebay (Rhododendron maximum). --
Ground laurel, trailing arbutus. --
New Zealand laurel, the Laurelia Novæ Zelandiæ. --
Portugal laurel, the Prunus Lusitanica. --
Rose laurel, the oleander. See Oleander. --
Sheep laurel, a poisonous shrub, Kalmia angustifolia, smaller than the mountain laurel, and with smaller and redder flowers. --
Spurge laurel, Daphne Laureola. --
West Indian laurel, Prunus occidentalis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Crowned with laurel, or with a laurel wreath; laureate. [ Written also laurelled. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. An honor or honors conferred for some notable achievement. [ PJC ]

to rest on one's laurels [ fig. ] to be content with one's past achievements and not strive to continue to excel; as, he didn't rest on his laurels after receiving the Nobel Prize, but went on to made even more significant discoveries. [ PJC ]

n. A small tree (Persea borbonia) of the Southern U. S. having dark red heartwood.
Syn. -- red bay, Persea borbonia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Pertaining to, or near, the St. Lawrence River; as, the Laurentian hills. [ 1913 Webster ]

Laurentian period (Geol.), the lower of the two divisions of the Archæan age; -- called also the Laurentian. [ 1913 Webster ]